Prolific lake offers FREE Christmas Day fishing

The country's most prolific carp water is extending some festive generosity - if you're able to sneak out of the house with your rods on Christmas Day!

Free fishing will be on offer between 7am and 5pm on December 25 at Drayton Reservoir in Daventry, Northamptonshire.

Ian Hirst with a typical Drayton 20

The gift is courtesy of the Canal and River Trust, which owns the heavily stocked day-ticket fishery, and there's no need to book.

Angie Ryder, who runs the venue with husband Mark, told Carpfeed: "We're open 365 days a year and normally we only ever get one or two on Christmas Day, but this year we're hoping to see a few more.

"It's a nice idea from the trust to give people a Christmas present as not everybody has family, or they want to nip out before or after their meal.

"We are not frozen and the lake's fishing ok.

"The following day we'll also have our Boxing Day Common Cup, which we've run for two or three years.

"The first person to catch a common gets the trophy and a free 48-hour session.

"I think last year there was a 22lb common caught and the year before it rolled over past Boxing Day and plenty of people had been down more than once, but a young lad turned up, cast out and had one very quickly!"